1. Breakestra “Hit The Floor” Ubiquity

   Unquestionably the hottest album I heard all year. This L.A. based funk/soul band (the brainchild of bassist Miles Tackett) lays down the tightest grooves since the 1970's. Anchored by a phenomenal drummer and Tackett himself, both the horn section and the sweet male soul vocals provided by Wolf round out what is easily the most delectable album of the year.

2. Spoon “Gimme Fiction” Merge

   Not too much to say here - just some top notch songwriting. A little more stripped down than previous albums, this venerable Texas band released another gem.

3. Platinum Pied Pipers “Triple P” Ubiquity

   This was my summer jam. Slightly blunted production from Waajeed of Slum Village, with guest appearances by J Dilla, Invincible, Steve Spacek, and a number of neo-soul/R&B singers, “Triple P” was the perfect album for banging in the car with the windows down on a hot, slow, summer afternoon.

4. Kanye West “Late Registration” Roc-A-Fella

   This album was maybe not as even as “The College Dropout” but still packed in a few burners - both versions of “Diamonds From Sierra Leone” are worth the price of admission. Kanye's collabo with Jon Brion made for a richer, subtler sound.

5. Lady Sovereign “Vertically Challenged EP” Chocolate Industries

   This 19-year old mic assassin from the UK drops an explosive EP on the Chicago-based Chocolate Industries label. With far better mic skills than the other female MC of the year (M.I.A.), this short EP was laced with some dirty beat bombs and brutal battle rhymes that have me wanting more...

6. Des Ark “Loose Lips Sink Ships” Bifocal Media

   Des Ark is a Raleigh-Durham duo (guitar and drums). Honestly, the album is good, but doesn't even hold a candle to their live show. The lead singer has an unreal intensity, and voice that alternates between sweet and an outright vocal growl. Also interesting - the drummer uses a 23” marching drum for his kick.

7. The Perceptionists “Black Dialogue” Definitive Jux

   Akrobatik, Mr. Lif, and DJ Fakts One team up to release one of the best underground hip-hop albums of 2005, featuring solid production work with both battle rhymes and socially conscious lyrics. There are a few guest MCs, but thankfully this album doesn't fall prey to the all-too-common “extended-posse syndrome” that happens to a lot of hip-hop albums. Good guest MCs include Guru, Humpty Hump (yes, he's still around), and Phonte of Little Brother.

8. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings “Naturally” Daptone

   A little slower and more soulful than the first Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings album, but it holds together a little better than the first one. The backing band is one of the tightest funk bands in the biz, and they come in a lot of different incarnations (Sugarman Three, Mighty Imperials, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, etc.). Bosco Mann nails the production here.

9. V/A “Motown Remixed” Motown

   What do you get when you let today's top hip-hop and dance producers (Z-Trip, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salaam Remi, DJ Spinna, and more) loose in the master vaults of Motown? One hell of an album. Featuring classic Motown tracks by classic Motown artists such as The Jackson 5, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and more, the remixes range from subtle reworks of drum patterns to complete renovations of tone, timbre, and tempo.

10. V/A “Dreddy Kruger presents: Think Differently Music - Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture” Babygrande

    Woo, this album was crazy. Highly uneven, but it had some real stand out gems - the collaboration of GZA & Ras Kass alone was probably worth sitting through the uneven parts. Aesop Rock and Del the Funky Homosapien also have a good cut.

Honorable mentions:

11. Sufjan Stevens “Illinois” Asthmatic Kitty
12. Doujah Raze “Doujah Raze” Trilogy

    This NYC transplant from Virginia drops a very nice first album, with solid, gritty rhymes backed with some stellar beats from relative unknowns.

13. Supastition “Chain Letters” Soulspazm

    Buttery, soulful beats with solid rhyming from the North Carolina MC. A couple of the tracks really stand out for their message.

14. D'Nell “1st Magic” BBE

    Neo-soul/R&B duo Dan Jones (producer) and Ellie Hajee (singer) bring a very sexy, soulful approach to their debut album. They're also engaged, which brings a whole other level of depth to their songs...

15. Apollo Sunshine “Apollo Sunshine” spinART

    Man, this album just makes me happy. Sam Cohen is a hell of a guitarist; see them live if you can.

16. Dean Gray “American Edit”

    This mashup album is brilliant. Technically never released, but worth listening to.

17. J-Live “The Hear After” Penalty

    This veteran underground DJ/MC released a harder, rawer album than I expected. It's been growing on me lately, though.

18. M.I.A. “Arular” XL Recordings

    Honestly, she's not the greatest MC, but the weird fusion of dancehall and reggaeton with UK grime really works. Plus, she's got one of the best live shows of any MC I've seen.

19. Rilo Kiley “More Adventurous” Warner Bros.

    Technically, it's a 2004 album, but Warner apparently now owns it copyright 2005. Infectious, perfect pop tunes.